“That’s it. I’m done,” my friend, Sandra, said.
“Tell me more. I’m listening,” I said.
“How could Goddess let this happen to me?” Sandra asked.
Sometimes, life hurts so much we’re left a wreck.
We wonder how a kind Goddess and God would allow such terrible things to happen.
I’m not talking from theory. I have two things: clinical depression and dyslexia.
“Wasn’t just one of these things enough?!” I’ve asked the Goddess.
In the first year of college, I heard this idea: Some Japanese artisans repair a broken vase with lacquer mixed with gold. My first thought was “What a waste of gold.”
Years later, I learned of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powered gold, platinum or silver. Author Christy Bartlett wrote: “Not only is there no attempt to hide the damage, but the repair is literally illuminated.”
Doesn’t this seem counter to what we’re taught to do? If we’re imperfect, aren’t we supposed to hide our flaws?
Flaws make us who were are. They make us unique. Just like the broken vase, each crack is a badge of honor and forms the unique composition of ourselves.
Wicca is the path of uniqueness. It molds to each practitioner’s needs. We can worship whatever pantheon we want. We can make our own rituals, tailored to ourselves and our uniqueness.
Dyslexia makes it hard to read so I was taught Wicca in a truly one-on-one, mentor-to-student manner. This was a traditional approach. I find great value in that.
It’s hard to say what value I’ve gained from dealing with depression symptoms every day. Then I think about my connection to humor. The first thing that popped in my mind is Monty Python’s song “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.”
I’m often quick to thrown in a humorous comment.
Humor has a healing experience for me.
I invite you to consider:
When we get broken, the healing is what fills the crack. And that’s a gift.
Blessed Be,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Goddess Walks Beside You: How You Can Listen, Learn and Enjoy the Wiccan Path
“You call them Yule trees. I grew up hearing them called Christmas trees,” my friend Kevin said.
“That may be so. Still, Yule is the Winter Solstice. Yule has been celebrated for thousands of years,” I replied.
Yule trees signify everlasting life. Our ancestors believed that evergreen trees were special. Why?
In the winter time, all the vegetation of the land died, except for evergreen trees. These trees defied death. These trees held some special power against Winter.
Realize that Winter was a scary and tough time for our ancestors. Vegetation perished and people died due to cold, illness and lack of food.
Our ancestors held the evergreen tree—the Yule Tree—as a sign of life in the middle of Winter … and as a symbol of eternal life.
Our ancestors brought evergreen trees into the home to bring this energy to the people who dwelled there.
When made into wreaths. the combination of the circle (the circle of life) and the evergreens made the symbol of everlasting life all that more potent.
I invite my fellow Pagans to smile when they see Yule Trees.
We know the special meaning and we can celebrate that!
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Goddess Walks Beside You: How You Can Listen, Learn and Enjoy the Wiccan Path
Recently, I was called to give a speech.
I had a surprising conclusion, and you’ll see in the text of my speech below, I’ve had some real struggles:
“What if every sentence was a lie? What if every word you read was a betrayal. This is what it’s like to have dyslexia. It is a learning disability that makes it very difficult to read. It makes it hard to decipher letters and other symbols.
My Dad has it, too. To this day my Dad mumbles under his breath, “STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!” That’s all he was told as a child.
How did Dyslexia affect me as a child? Going though the public school system was horrible for me. Normally a child goes though the grades 1-6 in one school.
Not me.
I went to first grade here, second over there, and third grade at another school.
It was so hard to make friends. I only made a couple of friends—but then I was torn away, forced to go to another school where I had to start over again. It was like taking a fish from one tank and then putting her into another tank. Everything’s different.
Each year I had new teachers, new rules, new classmates.
When I was 15, twenty seven years ago, dyslexia crushed my dream to be a writer.
I never learned about sentence structure nor how to compose a paragraph.
I never had classes in writing because of my dyslexia. I was just pushed through: through history, science, and geography.
Dyslexia made learning very difficult. I mean–think about it: For every subject you need to read a textbook. How do you learn math without reading? How do learn science without reading?
Homework that took the average student 15 minutes took me three hours. Even so, I averaged a 3.9 GPA in high school.
It was worse when I went to college. I had a teacher whom I will call Mr. Dense. I explained my learning disability to him.
One week later, Mr. Dense said, “I don’t know why you can’t learn this. Why can’t you learn this?!”
What? Didn’t you hear me?
Oh, that’s right. You’re Mr. DENSE.
Again, I worked so hard.
At one point, I was working so hard at college work and a job to earn money.
Something had to give. I did. I collapsed at work. I still can’t stand to walk into a Macy’s.
I survived college. Okay, I did rather well – A’s and B’s.
Still, somewhere in my mind, I wanted to express myself. But I didn’t think I could write.
… until I worked with my first editor, who encouraged me to write a blog.
I now write every week, and people from 173 countries read my blog.
Dealing with dyslexia gave me the chance to learn patience, to never give up, and to work hard.
So I wrote my first book, with the help of editors.
I will never forget the feeling of holding a newly printed copy of my book in my hands.
More than that – I saw favorable reviews on Amazon.com
Recently, my 4th book was published.
Yes, I could express myself. And people were getting value from my writing.
So what looked impossible to me was NOT impossible –
And Mr. Dense is still an idiot.”
* * *
I feel that we Pagans also have dense people around us who are misguided by the Hollywood version of witchcraft.
In thinking about my speech, I realize that there is a parallel between my living with dyslexia AND my walking my pagan path among people who shun me or shut down if anything about my pagan-life comes up.
As I wrote in my first book, The Hidden Children of the Goddess: “Witches are everyday people. No, we aren’t green and warty. From soccer moms to construction workers, we look just like any other person. We eat breakfast, go to work or school, and have friends and family. The only difference is our faith. In short, Wiccans are The Hidden Children of the Goddess.”
Still, some misguided people will remain, like Mr. Dense, in their ignorance—and they will not listen.
So we as Pagans will need to continue on our path regardless of the Mr. Dense or Ms. Dense in our life. Some friends may fall away. Some family members may drift away.
Yes, we are different. We Pagans have found our own path.
Each one of us has a different and special path.
So I encourage you to tread upon it with joy and determination.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Goddess Walks Beside You: How You Can Listen, Learn and Enjoy the Wiccan Path
“I’m feeling low,” Matilda said.
“I hear you,” I replied. “Something in particular?”
“We’re squeezed from all sides. All the Christmas music, the shopping, the happy couples, the family time. Hey, it was Yule!—before the Christians hijacked our season,” Matilda continued.
Ever feel, as a pagan, that you’re on a small island in the middle of “Christmas-focused people”?
The holidays often create depression and anxiety in Pagans. Seeing all the decorations and good cheer may be nice. Still, we Pagans know that one of our sacred Sabbats was perverted into a consumer holiday.
One holiday season, I was sitting in a knitting group at a yarn shop, when an older woman exclaimed, “What’s all this ‘happy holidays’ crap? It’s Christmas, damn it! It’s always going to be Christmas.”
I felt my hackles rise because I knew full well that in the group were a Jew, me and an Asian with parents from China. Through our diversity, we were already demonstrating that “happy holidays” was a respectful greeting at this time of year.
Why? Because in the USA, we have people of various cultures and traditions.
Long time readers of this blog know that I deal with depression symptoms. It’s true that outside things like all of this tinsel and tyranny of some people pushing their religion on others can exacerbate my depression symptoms.
Getting Past Feeling Depressed
I have learned to focus on the beauty around me and what it means to me. By this I mean, I focus on this present moment. If I see a Yule tree and I enjoy its beauty, then my depression symptoms “quiet down.” Who cares what others call the tree.
Pagans Feeling Anxiety during the Holidays
I have a number of Pagan friends who have to hide their faith from their Christian family and friends. Talk about anxiety! What if the pagan lets something slip like: “Oh, yeah. I had so much fun a Pantheacon”?
Here are some of things I do to lower my anxiety levels.
I have a particular family member who works with some people who are not open to hearing about the pagan path. So I make sure to guard my own energy before an event with that particular group. I prepare to listen and talk about things that this group is comfortable talking about.
Most importantly, I make sure to devote time with like-minded pagans so I feel safe and nurtured—and renewed in energy.
About dealing with the consumerism of the season:
I didn’t participate in Black Friday. I did not run around and attempt to get big bargains. That activity has nothing to do with the true meaning of the holiday Yule, which is about honoring the birth of the God, and the return of the sun.
Pagans and Wiccans know what Yule really means.
I practice being gentle with myself about gift-giving. Sure, you can give close ones gifts. Just go easy about it.
The way to deal with depression and anxiety is to nurture yourself.
Focus on being in the present moment. Find the beauty you cherish and create your own meaning.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Goddess Walks Beside You: How You Can Listen, Learn and Enjoy the Wiccan Path
In light of the recent attacks on the people in Paris, France, I feel overwhelmed with sadness and anger. I mourn deeply for the people who were murdered.
For a number of days I have been thinking about what to write. What would I discuss: Sorrow, rage, wanting justice, even the desire for some form of revenge?
Still, the idea that keeps arising in my mind is:
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”— Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi invites us to move beyond anger and vengeance.
Still, as I feel deeply about the situation, I realize that to maintain my own health, I need to get beyond pain, anger and sadness.
For you, I offer this meditation-exercise to help you maintain your own health and ability to take action in daily life.
Before I share this meditation-exercise, I realize that it is valuable for me to discuss two different forms of strength. These ideas arose in my conversation with one of my editors:
As my editor suggested, “If you get your inner energy right you can do more right. Inner peace can help you get past the sorrow and the anger so you can be in the present moment and have all of your resources.”
The below meditation-exercise is not about denying the need for justice and more protection.
The below meditation-exercise is designed to empower you to stay in a place of awareness and strength.
Meditation Magick Exercise on Letting Go and Finding Your Hidden Strength
You will need:
Cast Your Circle in your usual manner.
Cleanse your blue candle with the elements Earth and Water. Then consecrate the blue candle with your incense smoke.
Use your boline and write (on the blue candle) the name of the event that is causing your pain.
Use the olive oil to “dress your candle.”
Concentrate on the blue color, which is for healing.
Light the blue candle and focus on its flame, representing the healing truth of love and strength.
Meditate on the flame. In your mind’s eye, see the flame burning away all the negativity in your aura and the space around you. Once you feel your space/aura is cleansed, go to the next step …
Now imagine the pain of the event in your life. The event may be a personal experience or a public one like the Paris attacks. Create an image (in your mind) that represents the event. See the image floating above the flame. Concentrate on the image until it is a solid image above the candle. Feel it; know it is there.
Breathe deeply in and out, in and out. In your mind’s eye, lower the image into the flame and watch it burn away. Feel the heat in your heart as the image and related pain is transformed into the purity of peace and strength. As the image vanishes, see that all that remains is a phoenix of peace and strength.
Do the Cakes and Wine Ceremony.
Close Your Circle in your usual way.
[When you’re done with the exercise, have the candle continue burning. Make sure that things are safe so that the candle can burn until it goes out on its own. Never leave a burning candle unattended.]
I hope this meditation-exercise supports you in your personal journey of healing.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Goddess Walks Beside You: How You Can Listen, Learn and Enjoy the Wiccan Path
Has Starbucks started a War on Christianity? Really?! They did it with a simple design of a cup—a red and green cup? By the way, weren’t red and green considered The Christmas Colors?
Wiccans wonder about this. I mean isn’t all of the Christmas decorations, nativity scenes and Christian songs during November and December enough?
And what is the big deal about saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”?
I’m not a Christian, but I’ve heard that Jesus, the Christ, was into love, sharing and tolerance.
I was talking with a friend about the loud bellyaching that seems to be an annual stance of some, a certain few, Christians. Some Christians are touting that Starbucks having plain cups of red and green is “against Christmas.” How is not having snowmen and snowflakes against Christianity?
I realize that Christianity, like many religions, began with others persecuting some members.
We Pagans know about that—we remember the horror of The Burning Times! Persecution continues. I have friends who hide their Pagan beliefs because they know that their families (yes, some Christians) would disown them. My Pagan friends also know that in some parts of the USA, they would lose their jobs if their Paganism was “found out.”
Again, I emphasize just certain Christians are making a big deal out of Starbucks’ plain cups.
It’s reported that Jesus talked about love and sharing. Giving to the poor. In fact in The Bible (Matthew 5:44), Jesus says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Wait a minute! Failing to place Merry Christmas on a cup is NOT persecution. Come on, people!
So why are certain Christians shouting “war on Christmas”?
I cannot be certain. I had a conversation with some learned people. These ideas are what arose: “A number of people feel fear. Such fear may lead to greed. And such fear may lead to the need for an opponent.”
We Pagans are not an opponent.
It is not persecution when people say “Happy Holidays” to honor that there are people in the USA who are NOT Christian: Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Taoists, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Baha’is, atheists, certain scientists, philosophers, and more.
Again, Jesus the Christ, I am told, loved people, even tax collectors and prostitutes.
In the meantime, we Pagans, can lead by example.
We’ll have warm hearts acknowledging that there are many spiritual paths.
We Pagans do not need to shout about people following their own journeys.
I remember this quote:
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” – Mahatma Gandhi
I have Christian friends. They don’t shout about Starbucks cups.
I guess that’s part of why they’re my friends.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
At this time many Pagans are overwhelmed with the American Holiday Season. It begins with Halloween (just passed) and includes Thanksgiving and Christmas. A lot of Pagans have mixed feelings about this time of year. It starts with Samhain, a Sabbat that others stole and made it into Halloween.
Next, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, which causes situations, in which I feel, as a Pagan, truly uncomfortable.
Although during my childhood, I was inundated with stories of Pilgrims sitting down and enjoying a meal with Native Americans, the real story is one of betrayal and Pilgrims’ self-righteousness. When we study the actual events, related in some truthful accounts, the Pilgrims deceived the Native Americans. They destroyed the Native peoples.
Consider Native American Jacqueline Keeler’s assessment that “Native Americans think of this official U.S. celebration [Thanksgiving, as the] survival of early arrivals in a European invasion that culminated in the death of 10 to 30 million native people.”
View Jacqueline’s full comment here.
This Thanksgiving I will honor my own family and I will honor the Native People who reached out and helped strangers. The crops that the Pilgrims brought to this land couldn’t grow. So the Native Americans gave them food and taught them how to grow crops.
I will NOT be honoring the Pilgrims.
November is Native American Month. I will honor the Native Peoples of the Americas.
So what about the turkey and all the fixins’? I will still have the food but be mindful of where the food came from. As Jacqueline Keeler noted: “Since that initial sharing [“first Thanksgiving”], Native American food has spread around the world. Nearly 70 percent of all crops grown today were originally cultivated by Native American peoples. I sometimes wonder what they ate in Europe before they met us. Spaghetti without tomatoes? Meat and potatoes without potatoes? And at the “first Thanksgiving” the Wampanoags provided most of the food – and signed a treaty granting Pilgrims the right to the land at Plymouth, the real reason for the first Thanksgiving.”
So as we Pagans may feel squeezed by other people pushing Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas around us, let us find our personal things to honor during the holiday season. Honoring what is important to you is how you, as a Pagan, can triumph.
Make this time holy for your reasons.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
Jack-O-lantern
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
When a friend or family member dies, it can really hurt. What can we do? Fortunately as Wiccans, we do not have to fear death. Many Wiccans and Pagans believe in reincarnation; we’ll be reborn to live a new life in a new body.
When a Wiccan friend dies I like to honor them (and even support them) with this rite.
(I’m posting this early for those who would like to use it this Samhain.)
Special Consideration: Only do this rite if you know that your loved one was open to Wiccan beliefs and rituals.
Rite of a Departed Soul
What you will need:
Place one white and one black candle at each cardinal point (East, West, North, South).
Light the white candles when you Call the Quarters. (Soon you will light the black candles from these white quarter candles).
Cast your circle as usual.
Stand at the North of your altar (face North). Use your athame to draw a pentagram in the air.
Using the white “North” candle, light the North black candle. Now extinguish the white candle.
High Priestess:
Lord and Lady open the gates that separate our world and the word of the dead, we send “Name of Wiccan friend here” into your care and loving embrace.
Move to the East, draw a pentagram (like you did in the North) and use the white “East” candle to light the East black candle. Extinguish the white candle.
Guide “Wiccan friend’s” way; so he/she can enter your beautiful lands of the dead with peace and happiness.
Move to the South, draw a pentagram and light the South black candle. Extinguish the white candle.
Guide his/her steps so that “Wiccan Friend” is received by you safely.
Move to the West, draw a pentagram and light the West black candle. Extinguish the white quarter.
Help “Wiccan Friend” so that his/her journey is free of hardship.
High Priestess extinguishes all the candles on your altar at this point.
Have a “A Moment of Silence.” Then relight the candles on your altar.
Everyone then goes to the East cardinal point of the circle.
High Priestess says:
We set now set aside our grief, and light a path for “Wiccan Friend” to enter the peaceful place you hold for the ones who have gone before.
Each person is given a white candle. They then light their candle from the altar Working Candle.
Next the High Priestess relights the white candles from black ones. Each time, the High Priestess extinguishes the appropriate black candle.
Everyone holds up their candle and then repeats after the High Priestess:
Hear us Lord, Lady and mighty ones; “Wiccan friend” comes to you now.
Everyone puts out their candle and places them on the altar.
Now perform the Cakes and Wine ceremony.
Close the Circle as usual.
As you can see, the above rite supports your departed loved one, and it even brings you some solace, too.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.
Looking for gifts this Yule season?
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal
GoddessHasYourBack.com 